Semaphore-signal.



A. G. GLARK.

SBMAPHOEE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 190B.

Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

2 BHEETSSHEET 1.

WITN E55 E51? INVENTDRI AR EIA'E. {ILA f K A. G. CLARK.

SBMAPHOBE SIGNAL.

'APPLIOA'TION FILED JULY a1. 1908.

Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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INVENTEIRZ AR EA G- CLARK WITN'E55 E51 UNITED STATES PATENT FMQE.

ARBA G. CLARK, O1 SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

sEMAPHonE-smNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 6, 1909.

Application filed July 31, 1908. Serial No. 446,274.

. To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, .innx Gr. CLARK, a citizen of the l nited States. residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphore-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to semaphore signals. and its object. is to provide a simple and reliable means for preventing the signal from moving in the direction from danger to clear, except when it being driven by the motor.

'()ne well known type of semaphore signal comprises a gear-wheel driven by the motor and aelutc-lr mechanism for clutching'the gear-wheel to the semaphore arm for driving the semaphore signal to clear. My invention applies especially to a signal of this type. l talte advantage of the fact that. in normal operation of the signal, relative movement of gear-wheel and semaphore arnr takes place in one direction onlyf Relative movement of gear wheel and arm in the opposite direction can occur only when the arm is pulled to clear by external means, as by hand or by the accumulation of ice and sleet on the arm.

My invention consists in providing means t'or locking the arm fast in position upon a' slight relative mo\ ement in one direction of gear-wheel and'arm, and for unlocking the arm upon a slight relative movement in the opposite direction.

More specifically stated, I provide a pinionhaving its axis moving with the semaphore arm and meshing with the gear-wheel, and means for permitting the free rotation of the pinion on its axis in one, direction, only.-

ny invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a back elevation, with the door otthe casing removed, of a signal mechanism provided with locking means ar ranged in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same, with the casing partly-broken away; Fig. 3 shows a detail View in cross-section of the locking means; and Fig. 4 shows a modified construction of the locking means.

In the drawings, A represents a semaphore arm carried by a shaft B.

O represents 'an electric motor which is shaft ll, carrying the clutch connected through speed-re .lneing gears to a gearovheel I), loosely mounted on the semaphore sha't't B.

5*) represents an arm fast to the semaphore mechanism. This clnt'eh mechanism. as shown, eonnn'ises a finger or pawl 0 adapted to be engaged by any one ot a. series ot pins on the gear wheel I). The finger t; is controlled through a lever mechanism by thi armature of the slot of clutch magnets When the magnets are energized, the finger c is thrown out into the path of the pins (Z, so that when the rotation of the gear wheel brings one of the pins into engagement with the finger, the gear wheel is clntel'ied to the. semaphore arm to drive it to clear.

ll represent contacts for controlling the motor and clutch magnets.

The parts are shown in an intermediate position, through which the arm is being driven by the motor to bring it from danger" mechanism. as above described. fo'ms no part oi my present invention.

.l represents a small pinion with its shaft rotatahly carried in an extension of the arnr t l. so that the-axis of the pinion moves with the StliltipllUl'Q arm. The pinion meshes with gear wheel 1). its axis or shatt extends through a stationary guide K. which is carried by the. casing, and has an arc shaped slot concentric with the gear wheel.

Referring to nig. I), it is a box-like member surrounding the shatt of pinion J. and adapted to slide freely in the slot of the guide ii. The member ii is so shaped as to form. with the shat of the'pinion, a wedgeshaped space. in which is a roller or ball M.

When the gear wheel is driving the semaphore arm to clear. as shown in the drawings, the arm 1*) and gear wheel D move together, and the pinion J has no movement to rotate on its axis in a clockwise direction,

which movement of the pinion keeps theball M in the wider part of thespaee between the pinion' shaft and the member L. H, after the arm has returned to danger l. t) t) 15 fast in position.

position, the arm is pulled back toward clear position by hand or by the accumulation of ice or sleet on the arm, the gear wheel D being stationary, a, slight movement of arm 5 I) in a countei-r-clockwise direction is produccd. 'lhiseauscs a partial rotation of pinion J in a counter-clockwise rhrect1on, wluch iorces the hallzM into the narrow portion of the space between the pinion shaft and the member L.

tionary until this engagei'nent takes place,

causes the pinion, J to rotate in a clockwise dirccthm. and releases the ball M from the narrow portion of the space between the pinion shaft and the member L. The pinion is thus unlocked from the guide member K so that the semaphore arm is free to be driven to clear position by the gear wheel.

A- number of n'ioditications of the arrangement of the pinion and its locking means,

so which is in ei'l'eet a ball-ratchet'device, will readily occur to those skilled in the art. tine modification is shown in Fig. 4, in which the shaft of the pinion does not touch the sides of the slots in the member K, butthe member I) is formed in two pieces, which for locking the pinion. are pressed apart by the ball M, so as to be elan'iped firmly in the slot. in the guide member.

l-do not desire to limit myself to the par- :20 tic'ulaiconstruction and arrangement ofv parts'heii'e shown, but aim in the appended claims torover all modifications which are v within the scope of my invention.

What. I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,- Y 1. In a semaphore signal, a semaphore arm, a gear wheel, a motor, speed-reducing gearing connecting the motor and gear wheel, a clutch mechanism adapt-ed to clutch the gear wheel to said semaphore arm, and means for locking said arm fast in position upon a slight relativ movement in one direction of said gear wheel and said arm and for unlocking said arm upon a slight relative movement in the opposite direction of said gear wheel andsaid arm.

2. in a sen'iaphore signal, a semaphore armga gear wheel, a motor, speed reducing gearing connecting the motor and gear wheel, a clutch mechanism adapted to clutch the gear wheel to said semaplmre arm, a pin- 1011 having its axis moving with the sema-. phore arm and mesh ng wlth said gear wheel,

and means for permitting the free rotation of the pinion on its axis in one direction only. v I

3. In a semaphore signaha semaphore arm, a gear wheel, a motor, speed reducing gearing connectin the motor and gear wheel, a clutch mee -hanism adapted to clutch the gear wheel to said semaphore arm, a pinion having' its axis moving with the semaphore arm and meshing with said gear Wheel, and aball ratchet device arranged to prevent rotation of the pinion on its axis in one direction.

4. In a semaphore signal, a semaphore arm, a gear wheel, a motor, speed reducing gearing connecting the motor and gear wheel, a clutch mechanism adapted to clutch the gear wheel to said semaphore arm, a pinion having its axis moving with the'sema ph ore arm and meshing with said gear wheel, a stationary guide havlngan arc-shaped slot concentric with said gear wheel into which slot the shaft of the pinion extends, a boxlike member movable in said slot and surrounding said pinion shaft and forming therewith awedge-shaped space, arida roller carried in said space.

In witness whereof,-I have hereuuto set my hand this 30th day of July, 1908.

.1 ABBA G. CLARK. Witnesses HELEN ORFORD, BnNJarfLN- B. HULL. 

